NAME

smokeping_examples - Examples of Smokeping configuration

OVERVIEW

This document provides some examples of Smokeping configuration files.
All the examples can be found in the "examples" directory in the
Smokeping documentation. Note that the DNS names in the examples are
non-functional.
Details of the syntax and all the variables are found in
smokeping_config and in the documentation of the corresponding probe,
if applicable.
This manual is automatically generated from the Smokeping source code,
specifically the Smokeping::Examples module.

DESCRIPTION

Currently the examples differ only in the "Probes" and "Targets"
sections. The other sections are taken from the "etc/config.dist"
configuration template in the Smokeping distribution so that the
example files are complete.
If you would like to provide more examples, document the other sections
or enhance the existing examples, please do so, preferably by sending
the proposed changes to the smokeping-users mailing list.
Example1:config.simple
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+FPing
binary = /usr/bin/fping
Probe explanation
Here we have just one probe, fping, pinging four hosts.
The fping probe is using the default parameters, some of them
supplied from the Database section ("step" and "pings"), and some
of them by the probe module.
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
probe = FPing
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.
+ mysite1
menu = Site 1
title = Hosts in Site 1
++ myhost1
host = myhost1.mysite1.example
++ myhost2
host = myhost2.mysite1.example
+ mysite2
menu = Site 2
title = Hosts in Site 2
++ myhost3
host = myhost3.mysite2.example
++ myhost4
host = myhost4.mysite2.example
Target explanation
The hosts are located in two sites of two hosts each, and the
configuration has been divided to site sections ('+') and host
subsections ('++') accordingly.
Example2:config.multiple-probes
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+ FPing
binary = /usr/bin/fping
packetsize = 1000
+ DNS
binary = /usr/bin/dig
lookup = name.example
pings = 5
step = 180
+ EchoPingHttp
pings = 5
url = /test-url
Probe explanation
Here we have three probes: FPing for the regular ICMP pings, DNS
for name server latency measurement and EchoPingHttp for web
servers.
The FPing probe runs with the default parameters, except that the
ICMP packet size is 1000 bytes instead of the default 56 bytes.
The DNS and EchoPingHttp probes have been configured to be a bit
more gentle with the servers, as they only do 5 queries (pings)
instead of the default 20 (or whatever is specified in the Database
section). However, DNS queries are made more often: 5 queries every
3 minutes instead of every 5 minutes.
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
probe = FPing
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.
+ network
menu = Net latency
title = Network latency (ICMP pings)
++ myhost1
host = myhost1.example
++ myhost2
host = myhost2.example
+ services
menu = Service latency
title = Service latency (DNS, HTTP)
++ DNS
probe = DNS
menu = DNS latency
title = Service latency (DNS)
+++ dns1
host = dns1.example
+++ dns2
host = dns2.example
++ HTTP
menu = HTTP latency
title = Service latency (HTTP)
+++ www1
host = www1.example
+++ www2
host = www2.example
Target explanation
The target tree has been divided by the probe used. This does not
have to be the case: every target (sub)section can use a different
probe, and the same probe can be used in different parts of the
config tree.
Example3:config.fping-instances
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+ FPing
binary = /usr/bin/fping
++ FPingNormal
offset = 0%
++ FPingLarge
packetsize = 5000
offset = 50%
Probe explanation
This example demonstrates the concept of probe instances. The
FPingLarge and FPingNormal probes are independent of each other,
they just use the same module, FPing. FPingNormal uses the default
parameters, and so does FPingLarge except for the 5 kilobyte
packetsize. Both use the same fping binary, and its path is
configured FPing top section.
The 'offset' parameters make sure the probes don't run at the same
time - FPingNormal is run every 'full' 5 minutes (eg. 8:00, 8:05,
8:10 and so on, in wallclock time) while FPingLarge is run halfway
through these intervals (eg. 8:02:30, 8:07:30 etc.)
The top FPing section does not define a probe in itself because it
has subsections. If we really wanted to have one probe named
"FPing", we could do so by making a subsection by that name.
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
probe = FPingNormal
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.
+ network
menu = Net latency
title = Network latency (ICMP pings)
++ myhost1
menu = myhost1
title = ICMP latency for myhost1
+++ normal
title = Normal packetsize (56 bytes)
probe = FPingNormal
host = myhost1.example
+++ large
title = Large packetsize (5000 bytes)
probe = FPingLarge
host = myhost1.example
++ myhost2
menu = myhost2
title = ICMP latency for myhost2
+++ normal
title = Normal packetsize (56 bytes)
probe = FPingNormal
host = myhost2.example
+++ large
title = Large packetsize (5000 bytes)
probe = FPingLarge
host = myhost2.example
Target explanation
The target section shows two host, myhost1.example and
myhost2.example, being pinged with two differently sized ICMP
packets. This time the tree is divided by the target host rather
than the probe.
Example4:config.targetvars-with-Curl
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+ Curl
# probe-specific variables
binary = /usr/bin/curl
step = 60
# a default for this target-specific variable
urlformat = http://%host/
Probe explanation
This example explains the difference between probe- and target-
specific variables. We use the Curl probe for this.
Every probe supports at least some probe-specific variables. The
values of these variables are common to all the targets of the
probe, and they can only be configured in the Probes section. In
this case, the probe-specific variables are "binary" and "step".
Target-specific variables are supported by most probes, the most
notable exception being the FPing probe and its derivatives.
Target-specific variables can have different values for different
targets. They can be configured in both Probes and Targets
sections. The values assigned in the Probes section function become
default values that can be overridden in the Targets section.
The documentation of each probe states which of its variables are
probe-specific and which are target-specific.
In this case the "urlformat" variable is a target-specific one. It
is also quite uncommon, because it can contain a placeholder for
the "host" variable in the Targets section. This is not a general
feature, its usage is only limited to the "urlformat" variable and
the "%host%" escape.
(The reason why the FPing probe does not support target-specific
variables is simply the fact that the fping program measures all
its targets in one go, so they all have the same parameters. The
other probes ping their targets one at a time.)
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
probe = Curl
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.
+ HTTP
menu = http
title = HTTP latency
++ myhost1
menu = myhost1
title = HTTP latency for myhost1
host = myhost1.example
++ myhost2
menu = myhost2
title = HTTP latency for myhost2
host = myhost2.example
++ myhost3
menu = myhost3
title = HTTP latency for myhost3 (port 8080!)
host = myhost3.example
urlformat = http://%host%:8080/
+ FTP
menu = ftp
title = FTP latency
urlformat = ftp://%host%/
++ myhost1
menu = myhost1
title = FTP latency for myhost1
host = myhost1.example
++ myhost2
menu = myhost2
title = FTP latency for myhost2
host = myhost2.example
Target explanation
The target tree is divided into an HTTP branch and an FTP one. The
servers "myhost1.example" and "myhost2.example" are probed in both.
The third server, "myhost3.example", only has an HTTP server, and
it's in a non-standard port (8080).
The "urlformat" variable is specified for the whole FTP branch as
"ftp://%host%/". For the HTTP branch, the default from the Probes
section is used, except for myhost3, which overrides it to tag the
port number into the URL.
The myhost3 assignment could just as well have included the
hostname verbatim (ie. urlformat = http://myhost3.example:8080/)
instead of using the %host% placeholder, but the host variable
would still have been required (even though it wouldn't have been
used for anything).
Example5:config.echoping
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+ FPing
binary = /usr/bin/fping
# these expect to find echoping in /usr/bin
# if not, you'll have to specify the location separately for each probe
# + EchoPing # uses TCP or UDP echo (port 7)
# + EchoPingDiscard # uses TCP or UDP discard (port 9)
# + EchoPingChargen # uses TCP chargen (port 19)
+ EchoPingSmtp # SMTP (25/tcp) for mail servers
+ EchoPingHttps # HTTPS (443/tcp) for web servers
+ EchoPingHttp # HTTP (80/tcp) for web servers and caches
+ EchoPingIcp # ICP (3130/udp) for caches
# these need at least echoping 6 with the corresponding plugins
+ EchoPingDNS # DNS (53/udp or tcp) servers
+ EchoPingLDAP # LDAP (389/tcp) servers
+ EchoPingWhois # Whois (43/tcp) servers
Probe explanation
This example shows most of the echoping-derived probes in action.
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
# default probe
probe = FPing
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to this SmokePing website.
+ MyServers
menu = My Servers
title = My Servers
++ www-server
menu = www-server
title = Web Server (www-server) / ICMP
# probe = FPing propagated from top
host = www-server.example
+++ http
menu = http
title = Web Server (www-server) / HTTP
probe = EchoPingHttp
host = www-server.example
# default url is /
+++ https
menu = https
title = Web Server (www-server) / HTTPS
probe = EchoPingHttps
host = www-server.example
++ cache
menu = www-cache
title = Web Cache (www-cache) / ICMP
host = www-cache.example
+++ http
menu = http
title = www-cache / HTTP
probe = EchoPingHttp
host = www-cache.example
port = 8080 # use the squid port
url = http://www.somehost.example/
+++ icp
menu = icp
title = www-cache / ICP
probe = EchoPingIcp
host = www-cache.example
url = http://www.somehost.example/
++ mail
menu = mail-server
title = Mail Server (mail-server) / ICMP
host = mail-server.example
+++ smtp
menu = mail-server / SMTP
title = Mail Server (mail-server) / SMTP
probe = EchoPingSmtp
host = mail-server.example
++ ldap-server
menu = ldap-server
title = ldap-server / ICMP
host = ldap-server.example
+++ ldap
menu = ldap-server / LDAP
title = LDAP Server (ldap-server) / LDAP
probe = EchoPingLDAP
ldap_request = (objectclass=*)
host = ldap-server.example
++ name-server
menu = name-server
title = name-server / ICMP
host = name-server.example
+++ DNS
menu = name-server / DNS
title = DNS Server (name-server) / DNS
probe = EchoPingDNS
dns_request = name.example
host = name-server.example
++ whois-server
menu = whois-server
title = whois-server / ICMP
host = whois-server.example
+++ Whois
menu = whois-server / Whois
title = Whois Server (whois-server) / Whois
probe = EchoPingWhois
whois_request = domain.example
host = whois-server.example
Target explanation
All the servers are pinged both with ICMP (the FPing probe) and
their respective echoping probe. The proxy server, www-cache, is
probed with both HTTP requests and ICP requests for the same URL.
Example6:config.template
Probe configuration
*** Probes ***
+ FPing
binary = /usr/sbin/fping
*** Slaves ***
secrets=/home/oetiker/checkouts/smokeping/trunk/software/etc/smokeping_secrets.dist
+boomer
display_name=boomer
color=0000ff
+slave2
Probe explanation
This is the template configuration file distributed with Smokeping.
It is included in the examples as well for the sake of
completeness.
Target configuration
*** Targets ***
probe = FPing
menu = Top
title = Network Latency Grapher
remark = Welcome to the SmokePing website of xxx Company. \
Here you will learn all about the latency of our network.
+ Test
menu= Targets
#parents = owner:/Test/James location:/
++ James
menu = James
title =James
alerts = someloss
slaves = boomer slave2
host = james.address
++ MultiHost
menu = Multihost
title = James and James as seen from Boomer
host = /Test/James /Test/James~boomer
Target explanation
This is the template configuration file distributed with Smokeping.
It is included in the examples as well for the sake of
completeness.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2005 by Niko Tyni.

LICENSE

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your
option) any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.